United in Deadline-Day disaster movie

First there was “The Poseidon Adventure” then “The Towering Inferno” followed by other noteworthy disasters like “Earthquake, “The Day After Tomorrow”, “2012” and of course everyone’s favourite, “Titanic”. Now it seems the right time to add another to the list. The long anticipated but highly dreaded “Manchester United – 2013 The Summer That Never Was”.

What can I say folks. I have gone on and on for weeks with my doom and gloom predictions and glass half empty outlook only to be proven correct at the end of “Zero Day”.

After we have endured the summer from Hell, we went into the last 24 hours hoping, just hoping that all of this was just a big joke on us and that United and their brain trust (I use that term very loosely) had something wonderful up their sleeves and that at the end of the transfer deadline we would all be rewarded for our loyalty and patience with a number of outstanding signings that would not only fill the gaps in our midfield, but would ensure our competitive edge in England and Europe as well. Well “Zero Day” is over now and all we have to show for our anxiety and wishful thinking is the one player we knew was coming all along, Marouane Fellaini.

How sad it must be to be David Moyes these day. Can you imagine the hit this man’s self esteem and ego have taken over the few months he has been in charge of Manchester United? He has gone from having nothing to work with and believe in to something even less hopeless and seemingly more frustrating, having to count on the Glazer’s and Edward Woodward for his security and ambition.

Most of all, it must be a real slap in the man’s face to know that not one single player in Europe has heard of him nor do they have the burning desire to play for him. He thought himself to be as desirable as Kate Middleton but in reality has the appeal of Dame Judy Dench. Nobody of any consequence wants to play for Dave, only desperados wanting out of Madrid and his old boys club duo presently doing hard time under Warden Martinez at the Everton Correctional Institute for Hopeless Boys. In two short months Moyes has had his honeymoon period with United crash down around him and now supporters like me and there are many of us are calling for a swift and expedient annulment of this forced marriage.

David Moyes cannot and should not take all the blame for our failures off the pitch and on it. We are only three games into the season so I am willing to reserve judgement of Moyes the on field manager for now. But Moyes the manager in charge of buying and selling players and building the club has failed miserably along with his partner in crime, Lex Loser (aka Unsteady Eddie Woodward). These two Muppets have made a shambles of the transfer window this summer and have severely damaged the United brand as well as the club’s image regarding the way we do business. Shameful, disgraceful and a complete embarrassment.

I think it’s rather sad that a supporter like myself who lives on the west coast of Canada has enough common sense and knowledge about the game to know that David Moyes was from day one, the wrong man for this job. He lacked the pedigree, tactical wherewithal, ability to evaluate talent (can anyone say Shinji Kagawa), had absolutely no pulling power or allure with elite and not so elite players around the world, and did not possess the finesse and ability to complete a transfer when his career depended on it.

Sorry but Fellaini doesn’t count and to be honest, he botched that one up really well considering he could have had him a month ago before the man’s contractual buyout clause expired. Woodward and Moyes have become as comical a duo as Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Blackadder and Baldrick and The Two Ronnie’s. I’m just not sure which one is the straight man. Then again, lumping Blackadder and Baldrick in with these two is unfair because at least those two comedic giants had a cunning plan or two. United’s dynamic duo hasn’t got a clue to share between the two of them.

I can’t help but remember the end of last season when Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to the Old Trafford faithful as he was saying his farewells to support our new manager and give him a chance. Fair enough Fergie but to be honest sir, I never expected the Muppet show that we have been witness to during the transfer season as well as the ineptitude displayed over the past two matches. Yes two matches do not make a season and they do not define a manager but still, it seems to me that David Moyes is afraid to be his own man at Old Trafford. Instead he seems to want to follow Sir Alex and attempt to copy his plans and strategies rather than evoke his own brand of ideas and team selection. The fact he is just an unreasonable facsimile of Fergie is sad because he lacks all the special intangibles that made Fergie the legend he is today.

Gone is the magic, intimidation, fear and sheer respect for manager and club that he brought to United. Gone is Fergie time or the free ten to twelve points we would get as a team that were solely due to him. Now we seem saddled with a club that is sadly lacking in quality and depth and has finally been uncovered as frauds and pretenders.

Yes we were champions last year and we won the league by eleven points but that was yesterday and today the reality is that we are without the man who guided us to thirteen Premier League titles, Five FA Cups and two European Cups, not to mention other honours. Gone is that vision, that security blanket, that edge, that confidence and that defiance against all opponents that faced us. Gone is that pedigree and the allure, the arrogance and mystique. Add to that the fact that our top opponents, all four of them (even Arsenal have dipped into their wallets and spent big to close the gap at the top. In the case of Chelsea and Manchester City, new world renowned and highly respected managers have taken charge and they will mount quite a charge. What have we done to compete with that and to nullify their improvements. We raided a minnow for a manager who up to now had won nothing in eleven years in charge at Everton and we also get his man servant, Marouane Fellaini who I actually like but who I have doubts whether he will make a difference in improving our midfield that much. Quite a dramatic contrast to all that has been going on at Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal.

To talk negatively about our manager alone is grossly unfair. Others have got to take the blame for the debacle they made of this transfer season and what it’s repercussions will do our team this year as well, the damage and perception that it will leave for years to come around the football world. Sorry friends for this doom and gloom but today was the official beginning of the end and Mr. Moyes as well as Mr. Woodward and their bosses. the infamous Glazer family have all got a major stake in the blame.

It’s not just bad enough that this club needed to sign players to fill weak gaps in our starting eleven and bench. But to go about it in the incompetent and hilariously ridiculous manner in which Woodward and Moyes did, leaves me with much more than a sour taste in my mouth. I am filled with rage and as a loyal fan of what is the greatest sports club in all the world, I feel humiliated for the team and for myself and all other loyal supporters. These two clowns have done more damage in two months than anyone can yet imagine or fathom. The damage is not irreparable but at least for now it seems that way under a Glazer regime bent on extracting every dollar the club makes and not showing the willingness to spend on buying great players and also paying them competitive salaries.

That fact alone has made David Moyes job that much harder even before he took over the helm of manager of the club.
Moyes cannot have imagined that he would be leaving a club run by paupers only to be in charge of a club run by thieves. Sounds like something out of a Charles Dickens story. The fact is he left poverty to enter depravity. He is worse off than he was under Bill Kenwright who at least he could trust and knew had nothing more than three shillings in his pocket.

The Glazer’s were smart. They were patient. They bided their time and waited for Sir Alex to retire. Then they would have no restrictions in finally implementing their wicked plan to cut the finances off from the club to such a level that it would be very difficult for the manager to be able to entice the very best players to come and play for Manchester United.

It’s bad enough that United cannot compete for the very best players, but the fact is, even if they were willing to pay out 50 million pounds for a Radmael Falcao, they would never ever agree to his salary expectations and bonuses. That is the number one reason why they looked to sign Ander Herrera for 36 million as opposed to Mesut Ozil for 42 million. Many of you are saying WTF, what is another 6 million when you consider Ozil is twice the player that Herrera is? Problem arises in that Ozil wanted more than twice the salary whereas Herrera was willing to take a pay cut to come here and we still didn’t get the job done despite the fact the man had a release clause in his contract. And today they finally pulled the all timer of gaffs because they were finally unmasked for the liars and con artists that they are.

Today they had Ander Herrera virtually signed, sealed and delivered. All that was needed was their acceptance of the terms and Herrera was ours. So what do they do? They renege on the deal agreed upon as soon as it was clear that Bilbao had accepted all the terms. “Hang on there Bilbao, we weren’t serious with ya, we waz only teasing”. Bilbao and Herrera agreed to the buyout price and then United balked and made up excuses that Herrera in hindsight isn’t worth the valuation that was put on him. DUH!!!! Finally caught with your pants down and having to make up an excuse and go back on a deal because all of a sudden you were expected to come up with the money. All along I have said the money was not there. Show me the money, talk is cheap. Manchester United, I am ashamed and embarrassed by your lack of scruples, professionalism and class. This is no longer the club I have supported for most of my life. I am emotionally drained and so incredibly disenchanted and disheartened. I literally feel sick about the calamity and cesspool I find my club swimming in today. This was an all time boner and dictionary example for the word “INCOMPETENCE”.

INCOMPETENT:
1. Not possessing the necessary skill, ability, etc to do or carry out a task; incapable
2. Marked by lack of ability, skill, etc
DUPLICITOUS:

1. Marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings or actions and acting under the influence of another.

Does it get plainer than that? I’m sure as I write this that there are millions of United fans who are still wearing blinders and who still just don’t get it. The terminally optimistic and perpetually naive. Sorry for the name calling but I call it as I see it. Fact is too many fans have tolerated the status quo at Old Trafford for too long. Winning and the trust in Fergie was enough to blind us from the reality of what was happening and to where we were headed. And I’m not even judging this on our start to the season. Sir Alex had many poorer starts to a season and somehow he was still able to right the ship and head for sunnier climbs. My complaint is with the owners (everyone knows this by now) but there is nothing I can do about them and their corrupt and fraudulent regime. There is also nothing I can do about David Moyes and his sidekick Ed Woodward. These two have been appointed to run the on field affairs of Manchester United and so far, they are doing exactly as their bosses have ordered. The only recourse left to me is to bitch, whine and complain and this is something I do very well I must say. In fact I have been categorized by many as world-class in this department.

But you know something, despite the fact I am the Ronaldo of whining and bitching, I am tired and fed up with the whole thing. United have stripped from me the fun factor that came with being a United supporter. That guarantee and trust that we would entertain, win and compete both on the pitch and in the boardroom. I feel let down by my team and betrayed.

I still love my club despite all this because Manchester United is not to blame. The club is a sacred cow and an icon, an institution. But the club is being held hostage by usurpers. Illegitimate and highly controversial claimants to the throne of this great and prestigious club. They have slowly but surely stripped the club of its crown jewels and now they are readying themselves for the final ransacking. And to help them with this dastardly deed they have appointed two loyal lackeys to make sure that nothing gets in n the way of this goal, not even the need to improve the club’s standing on the field. Sad really that all my fears from five years ago are finally coming to fruition. I was right and damned me for being so.

I want to support and cheer on my club and I will continue to support the lads even though I know in my heart that they aren’t good enough to repeat as champions, and doubtful to even finish in the top four. I could be wrong about where finish up this season but I am not wrong about the direction this club is headed. Not unless there is some serious soul searching done by our manager. You are either with them Dave, or you are with the supporters and the team. Stand up to the regime and stand up for the supporters. Be your own man and stop trying to mimic Fergie.

Sir Alex can be imitated but he can never be duplicated. Moyes may not be my choice (hey that rhymes), but he is what we have been saddled with. Now it’s up to him to either become an asset or a burden. Right now he has shown me absolutely nothing. That’s just what I expected and in matters of the heart, I hate being right.

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68 Comments

One addition to the article. At the time I wrote it and sent it in I assumed the deadline had passed and Fellaini was our only bit of business. However in a surprisingly astute move, the powers that be had the common sense to bring in Fabio Coentrao on loan from Unreal Madrid. I personally love Coentrao and have been lobbying for us to sign him for a few years now. This move could somehow salvage a disaster of a transfer season for us, especially if down the line we have the smarts to buy him outright. So everything I wrote in the article stands, but at least this player loan numbs the pain a bit. Woody and Moyes pull a rabbit out of a hat. Even if the hat doesn’t really belong to us……..YET. 😀

@reality: Seriously? Christ, Ian hit the nail on the head when he asked the question who still uses fax machines today? I used to sell them for Motorola 28 years ago. Jeez, this must be a joke. And just when my hopes for the club had risen an inch. 🙄 🙄 😆 😆

@reality: Hahahaha! Comedy gold from Bozo Woodwood and the rest of the clowns running United. Didn’t get the paperwork in on time! 😆 Why leave everything to the last minute? These numbskulls have now royally pissed off Evra, one of the most popular and respected members of the squad. It just gets worse and worse for Moyes.

@The red baron: Ha! That one seems unbelievable to me. My guess is these “imposters” ARE the men United employed to do the deal and this “imposters” story is more bullshit put out by the club in an attempt to wash our hands of this embarrassing Herrera fiasco. There are pictures and apparently videos of the men online, so it should be easy for the authorities in Spain to identify them.

I cannot believe I wasted my time reading such a piece of bombastic hot air from an idiot who doesn’t know his mouth from his arshole – the latter is probably more productive in terms of what comes out of it.

Doubtless the author wasn’t even around as a fan of the club when Fergie first took over the reigns from Ron ‘Hollywood’ Atkinson, or he’d remember how rocky the first years at the club were for the wily Scot. All people want to do these days is bask on the memory of all that he achieved overall, neatly sidestepping the early hiccups and the man’s numerous shortcomings as a manager. Also forgotten is the fact that for all the great signings there were also just about as many lemons, some of them very expensive flops, and need we recall how how was conned into shelling out around 7 million pounds, sight unseen, for Bebe? There should have been a criminal investigation over that one one, but in football people play by different financial rules.

Also of note was been his long and extremely blinkered attitude towards Wayne Rooney, the double set of rules where one applied to the team as a whole while another was drawn up for Rooney when it came to odd little things like professionalism, training, and attitude. Other players wouldn’t get a game unless they showed themselves to be properly fit. Where Rooney was concerned the old excuse of ‘he just needs to get games under his belt’ would be trundled out to excuse the long goal-scoring droughts and general lack of sharpness due the moron’s habit of constantly stuffing his face with food at every opportunity during the off-season and then letting his team down by using the early part of the EPL season to regain form and fitness. One player after another, from Beckham to Stam to Van Nistleroy would get shown the door for not giving 100% to the club and calling into question Fergie’s authority. Rooney? Forget the lack of professionalism. Forget the abuse at cameras. Gloss over the smearing of the club’s name though his flings with prostitutes while his wife was pregnant. Never mind the foul-mouthed Twitter tirades. And what matter the demand to be traded because the club didn’t really match his needs anymore? Finally Fergie’s patience ran out as he began to finally see the wood through the trees as far as the Englishman’s many shortcomings, not least in front of goal, which is what led to the thinly veiled comments about missed opportunities and the need to bring RVP to the club. Of course we saw how Rooney responded to that in the off-season with his apparent demands to be traded to Chelsea.

Then of course there’s Fergie’s tactical shortcomings, especially in Europe, where two dodgy CL titles in a quarter of a century show up as a pretty paltry return for the kind of money and talent United have had at their disposal through those years. Even more noteworthy has been the embarrassing and numerous early exits from the competition on the group stages.

As for the position Moyes now finds himself in, again the blame can be laid at the door of Fergie, who has basically done absolutely nothing about correcting the club’s most glaring problem over the last 4 – 5 years – signing the kind of midfield talent that could match it with the powerhouses of Europe – and thus leaving Moyes with a second string outfit ruling the team’s engine room. Though Carrick certainly had his best year last season, finally being able to step out from the shadow of Scholes, at best he should be an able reserve, not a first team pick – at least against the top quality sides, who often leave him looking totally at sea. United clearly over-reached last season while their opponents found ways to shoot themselves in the foot, with the whole outcome creating a misconception that Fergie left his successor with a championship caliber team. Crap. It’s one of the poorest United have fielded for quite some time, with only RVP and the defense being of any real quality.

No one could doubt that United have handled the off-season poorly, but lay the blame at the door of Woodward and the Glazers, because according to all reports its Gill’s replacement who’s making such a shambles of the signing process with his lack of due process and total lack of credibility and contacts in the football world. All Moyes can do is hand in a list of his desired targets. It’s up to the money-men to make it work, and clearly they’ve let him down, with Fergie’s lack of foresight also thrown into the equation.

@timbo: I blame the whole works mate. Moyes doesn’t get off scott free just because you like him. Fine you disagree, no problem but refrain from the name calling. It’s not necessary as you were able to make most of your case without refraining to those measures against a fellow supporter who just happens to not see things through your rosy colored glasses. I save the name calling for the bums running the club, not for my fellow supporters. Fergie can be blamed for some things but after what that man brought to this club, shame on anyone who says a wrong thing about him. David Moyes has yet to earn that kind of respect from me. 🙄

@timbo: I hear you but Moyes leaving Kagawa out of the squad when we were crying out for an incisive pass as Liverpool fell back and invited us on, that was another blunder. Then post match bullshitting what a great performance ,the best this season ffs That was a pale impersonation of Fergie’s mind games and made him look amateurish. Moyes doesn’t have the presence of charcter to play the media like Fergie did. Just made him look like an incompetent. Obviously Fellaini is Moyes’s coice for midfield too, hardly the most imaginative and after the total and utter shambles of a transfer summer United as a club are looking a bit of a joke. Prestige and esteem is important if we want to attract top players so Moyes needs to get his finger out, stop imitating Ferguson and mark his own stamp on the club. He could start by making sure Woody gets the chop. If he doesn’t and the results don’t go our way, then Moyes as manager, 😳 will have a lot to answer for. 😳

@timbo: Oh Fergie definitely deserves his fair portion of the blame I agree. Not only did he leave our midfield in a complete fucking shambles, but he threw his full support behind the Glazers who we have seen this window, are anything but “great owners” and have taken this club for a bloody ride.
The fact that we have to resort to last second loan signings from Madrid (no matter how good a player Coentrao is) and barely scrape through for Fellaini is a sign of the direction the club is heading in sadly.
Knowing woody we probably sent the bloody offer for Coentrao through to Athletico Madrid so we’ll miss out 🙄
Headlines tomorrow- Biggest club in the world blame impostors and faulty fax machine 🙄 🙄 🙄

@tonymontanna4united: People who were around here two or three years ago should remember that I was constantly on Fergie’s case over his loyalty and denial towards the Glazer’s. He is to blame for a lot of what happened and for the state of our midfield but still, the man gets a get out of jail free card fro m me because I cannot stay mad at the man considering what he has done for this team in general over 26 years. He earned my respect and so for me at least, Fergie is hands off when kit comes to blame and hate.

@Grognard: You see, that’s the reason why I probably am so hard on Fergie there. Because after 25+ years I maybe naively expected Fergie to say something, even just subtly, just to let us know he knew where we were coming from, and supported us and understood our concerns for the future.
To so publicly just flick us the finger, tell us to support Chelski if we don’t like it, and to rub in our face how “great” they were at every opportunity, lost him a lot of respect for me.
I’m forever thankful for what he did for this club and will always consider him the greatest there has ever been, but I do feel let down by him and blame him for his part in the shit we are currently in and which I believe will only get worse in the coming years.
Because no one anywhere is going to convince me that keeping quiet and saying nothing whilst letting those leeches dip their hands in the till and run the club the club into the ground, is the best thing to do.

@Grognard: Can’t argue with that Tony. I too was very upset with Fergie during the green and gold period and the creation of the other club by disgruntled fans. He supported these jackals and still does. Meanwhile the game on and off the field is changing and we are left behind with our dicks in the air.

On the bright side, the transfer window is now closed until January and we can forget about all this BS and concentrate on the matches ahead and how Fellaini and hopefully Coentrao will fit in and help us improve. Lets get back to football finally.

@Grognard: Hopefully Moyes will wake up now. It really doe seem like he is overawed by the position, he looks like he’s traumatised by events. He needs to relax and take control. Mancini could see what was happening when City dithered on the transfer market. He at least had the balls to challenge Marwood even if he got the chop eventually. Moyes needs to make a public statement and at least apologise for the levels of ineptitude in dealings. He hasn’t stepped into the role yet but at this level you are not afforded too much time before you start performing. Player seemed highly unmotivated on Sunday. And that was against Liverpool. Need to get a grip rapid like or this marriage of convenience may not have a happy ending.

I first came across you after the Chelski game. Brilliant writing and very astute assessments regarding Cleverly and Wellbeck. But it was your article about the Glazers and the way they have (as you put it) been robbing the club!

I totally agree with you. Man Utd this summer has acted so un-Man Utd this summer! I am not a Moyes supporter, but will give him until the new year. Why Fellaini wasn’t bought wihin a week of Moyes arriving I will never know! I have NEVER heard of a manager stepping up in terms of leaving one club for a much bigger club (or at least higher profile) and NOT bringing players with them sharpish!!!!

Wotless!!!!

But my real beef is that Utd doesn’t have any money. We ‘only’ have £30m to spend. Just like last year. The money is not there! Man Utd is becoming an Arsenal. And I can’t stand it!

No goals in 2 games.
Woeful midfield; no sparkle
Wotless Welbeck and not so CLEVERly.
And a manager unproven when it comes to continental football!

@Ndubisi: Arsenal WERE like us. They spent over 50 million this summer so right now we are the only club looking like a complete embarrassment. And the player we signed we could have gotten for 4.5 million less had Woodward and Moyes not had their heads up each others asses. As for the 30 million they are given to spend, well the problem is that the Glazer’s do not want to play the same game Madrid, Barca, City, Chelsea, Bayern and PSG play. Unlike those clubs, they are not in it for the football and trophies. They are in it for the extortion. Sad then that they cannot see that by hurting the club on the field, they will eventually dry up the cash cow that has been delivering millions in droves for them. Short sightedness and narrow vision is not flaws that are good for business and up to now they got away with it due to Fergie’s ability. The more I think about it, I feel Fergie retired because he saw the writing on the wall finally. He knew he could no longer take this club beyond it’s talent level and he called it a day. Moyes is the unfortunate heir to this sinking ship and he will be the captain that will go down with it. Felaini will have to transform himself into the second coming of Roy Keane if we are to stay in the top four. And forget about 1st place and Europe. For me anyway, September 2nd was the day the dynasty was breached and the crack is spreading.

With Fellaini and Carrick holding the fort in the middle we could still win trophies

We have the players.

But my concern is David Moyes’ lack of tactical and strategic and coaching know how.

The only thing keeping us from trophies is our seemingly hapless manager who has done nothing but fumble at every point since starting his reign.

He was a serial loser on pre-season tour. He has sucked up to Rooney no end. And he has made empty statement after empty statement with regards to the window. And has managed to lose Coentrao on a technicality and pay nearly £5m more than he needed to for Fellaini.

Based on what I have seen to date Moyes is a donkey at coaching.

We have a dream squad but this lummox goes and plays Ashley Young and Giggs and Valencia ahead of Zaha.

Any real coach would see straight through Ryan Giggs. But Moyes is still star struck. Its ok to play him in the opening day of the season to steady the ship. Giggs did well at swansea. But once the team is up and going in the league campaign surely you don’t need Giggs against the likes of Liverpool!

Playing Giggs and Valencia up until this point also says to me that Moyes is mentally lazy because he doesn’t want to try figure out a way of playing Zaha, an obvious talent, in big games.

Any other coach would have played Zaha by now but Moyes is too affraid of going against the Ferguson ideas.

Moyes looks like a little man at a massive club who is too affraid to make his own decisions. Too affraid or too stupid.

@The_Philosopher: I would feel greatly encouraged if he played Janusaj and Zaha right now. As for Nani and Kagawa, both players I like but you overrate their contribution and potential. Nani is not the man he was three years ago and even back then, he’d frustrate us half he time. Kagawa is a fine player I would use right now but trust me, he is no Ozil mate and to be honest, he is no Januzaj either. As for Rooney, well he is a great player who has had a sign of decline in his game for over a year now. I doubt that is all going to improve knowing full well that deep down, he doesn’t really want to be here. And RVP is only as goo as the service around him. Too often in games he only gets one or two chances to score and that does not fill me with confidence unless those opportunities increase.

Well, we’ve managed to buy one more player than I thought we would in this shambles of a transfer window. Good luck to Fellaini and welcome to Utd. However, buying Fellaini for 27.5M is a joke when you consider we could have got both Strootman and Erickson for the same price, we could have got Thiago for less. I’ve heard that it was Moyes himself who pulled the plug on the Herrera deal and just left the kid standing there, waiting for a medical. Maybe Moyes has been more involved in transfer deals than he’d have us believe, and has to take his share of the blame. Anyway it’s all over until january by which time we’ll know how things are shaping up. Personally, I don’t think Fellaini is enough, it’s a start, but not enough. I am glad that we still have Kagawa, for a while I thought he was going. Let’s hope Moyes is brave enough to use him in future, and pick a skillfull side with pace and flair. We have the muscle at the back now and that gives Moyes the opportunity to try out more exciting players like Zaha and Januzaj. Time to stop playing Giggs and allow the team to develop into the future.

@red astair: I was rather hoping Moyes would show some courage and bring the youngsters to the forefront. Particularly as the transfer window appeared headed for near disaster. Sadly I don’t think he has the confidence to do it. He’s conservative by nature, he’s not a gambler but above all he’s insecure. He would prefer to rely on experience – hence the prominent role Ryan Giggs has played so far – even at the expense of someone like Kagawa. As great a player as Ryan has been he should not be in the starting eleven. Actually, he shouldn’t even be in the squad as he is merely blocking the way forward for someone a lot younger. Let him concentrate on his coaching including imparting the invaluable wisdom he has garnered in his astonishingly successful career. If Moyes cannot see it then Ryan should help him a bit by announcing his retirement at an appropriate moment.

Having followed United through most of its dark periods – including Munich – I have to say that what has happened since Fergie retired does not augur well. The article is depressing in itself and one can fully understand the sentiments expressed therein. Unfortunately there is little we can do about it – the dye is cast. Moyes will be given time and it looks as if he’ll need it. Qualification for the ECL is probably the bottom line as far as outlook is concerned in the short term. A trophy, as unlikely as that seems right now, will be an added bonus. If we fail to qualify for the ECL say this season and next – probably a worst case scenario – then Moyes will be out. Having said that and, as I said, having been through a few periods of real doldrums, the one thing supporters have to do is to keep their optimism going. There will be a new dawn somewhere down the line – hopefully sooner rather than later.

@Julian: Why didn’t we give Michael Laudrup a chance seeing as how the job was open to any old monkey who has a coaching license. . .

But I don’t want to go through a dip!!!

Wanna know why?

Because we don’t have to. Any decent manager can win the league with the players we’ve got.

Secondly RVP left Arsenal to come and live his dreams at United. What a heart wrenching thought that United are now about to go through a dip. The one guy in the world who deserves a few trophies isn’t gonna get them because United are falling apart.

@The_Philosopher: Looks like the transfer window debacle isn’t over yet. Herrera is going to give a press conference explaining what went wrong with the Utd deal. This could get even more embarrassing and worse, if Utd did leave him standing at the altar, it will probably put off a lot of clubs and players in the future. Piss poor, I never had any respect for Woodward, and now I’m rapidly losing it for Moyes.

@red astair: Good, I hope he bloody spills the beans to the whole world about our cheap skate penny pinching methods, because amazingly I’m still seeing fans on other forums trying to kid themselves that we have mountains of money just waiting to be spent, but once again we were just trying to just be sensible and not overpay 🙄
Yeah because your going to haggle on the last day of the transfer window for the sake of an extra £5m in taxes aren’t you.
Next summer, when we have more tv money and more sponsorship money coming into the club and yet end the summer with a £25m net spend whilst even Norwich are outspending us, I hope a few fans wise up and realise that these aren’t just the calls of a couple of paranoid negative fans preaching the beginning of the end as it seems to be passed off as.
The club really is being raped and pillaged and run into the ground by money men who serve only their own interests. It’s happening, it’s been happening for years despite Fergie’s insistence it hasn’t, and it is only getting worse.
Sadly I get the feeling that for some, the Glazers could sell off OT, get us ground sharing with Stockport, sell RVP and replace him with Heskey on a free transfer and they’d still be unconcerned about them 😕

@The_Philosopher: You know mate, generally I would laugh at the idea of an unproven manager like Laudrup being suggested because frankly he hasn’t achieved much yet in his short managerial career. But the fact is that in that short time he has won silverware for his club, he has got plenty of experience coaching and playing in Germany and Spain, he is an astute man manager and tactically he shows great promise. He also is well respected around Europe and would probably be able to lure top talent if he were managing a bigger club. However, we are talking about Manchester United here, not Swansea or Everton. Frankly, as good as he is he hasn’t yet built the kind of CV that make me believe he is qualified for this job. With that said, I would have picked him over David Moyes in a New York minute. Moyes is a decent manager and a good man but he is woefully out of his depth here. Championships and dynasties are not accomplished by playing 4-4-2, being cheap, loyal and bowing to the owners. You do not become great by rummaging in the bargain bins of world football and you cannot go far without the skill, finesse and allure needed to attract high priced talent. But then again that is exactly what the Glazer’s were looking for and when you partner Moyes up with their investment banking commercialization expert Ed Woodward, you form the best comedy act Britain has seen since Fry and Laurie. Problem is, I’m not laughing.

@The_Philosopher: No,we’re stuck with Moyes at least for two seasons. The bottom line is qualification for the ECL. If I doesn’t do that this season and next then he’ll be out. We have to hope that things will work out. Moyes has been touted by many as Fergie’s successor ever since the whole succession debate started. Originally the board said that Fergie’s successor would have to have “a proven track record of success at the highest level”. I certainly went along with that and therefore discounted the idea of Moyes right from the start. Mourinho seemed the obvious go to man although there were reports of meetings with Guardiola before the start of last season. The latter slipped away for some reason and Mourinho rather shot himself in the foot thus ruling him out. Nevertheless, Moyes it is and I daresay Fergie had a great deal to do with that. Its like starting from scratch and Moyes is going to have to build a reputation based on success. First he’s going to have to start beating the teams he has never done before – at least away from home. Then he’s going to have to win a trophy or two. Perhaps when the transfer window comes around in say 2015 he will at least be known by the continentals. In the meantime Moyes will have his work cut out to keep his best players never mind attracting new ones. Certainly Rooney for one will want to go, sooner rather than later, if the club are not headed in the right direction and who can blame him? Over to you Mr Moyes but I’m afraid the pressure is already starting to build.

Oh thanks Grog for writing this piece. I also want an annulment of this forced marriage.

Its way too premature but based on what I have seen I want Moyes out. i want Moyes to go. I really do. I would prefer Michael Laudrup at this point because he might actually know something about playing attractive passing football.

But it is way too premature. Moyes could very well prove to capable of managing at United.

But Based on what I have seen of him so far, he gets a 2.3 out of 10 for me. That’s his current scorecard reading in my books. A win against Palace will mean little to nothing, he needs to beat Man City before I consider revising his score.

Moyes’ efforts in the window have been amateurish. His decision making as a football manager on the pitch have been way below par. I could see just how unprepared he was to take on the season when he just kept on losing pre-season games like they were some big laughing matter.

If there was one thing Ferguson never compromised on it was winning football matches regardless of their importance.

My ealry judgement on Moyes? Losing to Liverpool in the manner in which we lost them and fumbling consistently in the window all constitute strike one for me. He’s only been here 2 months but Moyes has fumbled enough times for me to say thats strike one for him. Two more and he needs to go.

You’re so right Grog when Ferguson said let support the new manager I also didn’t expect such a shambolic showing all round. I can be patient with a competent manager who is struggling to adjust. But Moyes has shown his lack of acumen at this level.

I think Fellaini will make a big impact. He isn’t the best in the world but he will a job plugging the hole in the middle.

I blame Moyes. If he wanted Coentrao and Fellaini then he should have gone for them a month ago. He should made his mind up and gone above and beyond to get them. A month ago. Why can’t Moyes make a decision.

He is trying to be like Ferguson when he should be his own man and make his own decisions. The fact that he is dithering on everything on and off the pitch is what is really getting my blood hot.

@The_Philosopher: So far, as a football manager, Moyes scores low, but as part of the Woodward Moyes comedy double act he’s done a pretty good job, unfortunately. His punchline to Herrera – you can play for Man Utd if you take a pay cut, ranks alongside Tony Hancock’s – a pint is nearly an armful – at the bloodbank, and Basil fawlty’s – don’t mention the war – in the episode of the Germans. Sheer comedy genius.

Moyes is the manager, he the one with the final say, he the guy who decides who to go for…… moyes is the one who pulled the plug on the perfect signing, herrera, claiming his value wasn’t value, moyes is the one who obsessed on baines (disrespecting manutd and evra) all market before making a very very late move for fabio, knowing he would face a race. moyes obsessed on getting fallaini on the cheap when could just got him out right, moyes is the guy who sent ed to chase fabregas despite it always being a battle, moyes is the one who let thiago slip away to bayern, moyes is the one who blew off a bid for ozil…..moyes, not ed, is to blame for this shamble of a market……you guys always loved blaming fergie so grow some guts and blame the guy at fault for this summer, DAVID MOYES.

@Buggy: WOW! The only thing differentiating that article from my writings is that I write using my angry tone and curses more. Thanks for that. Proof that I’m not alone in this and that there are others who can see things as they are and not as the glass half full crowd want you to see it.

seriously, you guys should relax a bit. your first XI is hardly “mid table” and fellaini could prove an important signing. the loss at anfield was kinda surprising, but it is a long season and remember YOU GUYS JUST WON THE LEAGUE WITH AN 11 POINT MARGIN. i’m sure i don’t have to remind you, arsenal haven’t won anything in years now…

@an arsenal fan: This is a lot more than a loss at Liverpool and the current starting eleven. It has to do with the future of the club and what the current regime is doing to damage that as well as this club’s prestige and reputation.

Apparently Moyes and Woodward are going to use the intl break to perform an internal inquiry to work out what went wrong.
Can you believe that?
I can save them the time. What went wrong is that we have a incompetent buffoon running the club business. Someone who is more interested in signing sponsorship (Glazer pocket filling) deals as opposed to signing players (Glazer pocket emptying deals).
End of inquiry.

You are basically unfair if you single me out. I am routinely harassed on this blog. And to pretend as though someone I am being unfair to Groggy is absurd, as he is easily the most consistently mean spirited and attacking person, and does so on a daily basis.

I could find 100+ personal attacks by him in this 1 week. Can you say that about me?

@Ben: I can simply give you some advise mate. And believe me, I am not trying to be mean spirited or rude here. If you do not like the people or the nature of the mood and themes on this blog, there are literally hundreds of other United blogs littered with positive flag toting storm troopers like you who are willing to put the blinders on and march to the band music played by Moyes, Woodward and Team Glazer. May I suggest the official Man Utd forum that is screened and censored and never allows assholes like myself to pollute the minds of the masses.

If I and others on here frustrate you and pain you so, then why stick around and put up with it? Unless your aim is to come here and try to piss off everyone. If you remember I attacked you when you first showed up here and to be completely honest, I was wrong to do so even though you were full of pro Glazer rhetoric. Whether I agreed with you or not, you had a right to voice your views. I apologized and I thought we were beyond the mud slinging but then you shocked me by continuing the name calling and insults and not just aiming at me but to others on here. You simply are here for one reason as I see it. To instigate fights and arguments and to sling mud by taking the unpopular view time and time again. I do not challenge your love and allegiance to the team despite the fact I think you are misguided and a narrow minded in your views. I’d then ask you to appreciate and respect that others love this club as much as you but see things very differently. If you cannot and will not respect us for that, then kindly do yourself and all of us a big favor and piss off. Or stick around, change your attitude, (not your views) and learn to get along and disagree with us like a grown adult and not like a member of the Hitler Youth.

Grog, no matter what anyone says you will not change your fundamental views no matter how hard someone tries.

Fair play, that’s how it should be. Your views are your views.

But that should convince you though mate that you can’t convince someone else to change theirs no matter how forthright you are and for how long. That should effect how you interact, you don’t need to convert people.

You put up with a lot of shit on here (I might show you some of the ones I don’t approve!) some fair some totally unfair but sometimes your involvement courts it purely by your demeanour, some will love you some will hate you, you have to accept that. These problems always surround you, fair or not, that’s a fact.

EVERYONE:

I don’t need all the ‘he said this and he said that’ bollocks because I don’t have time for it.

Everyone needs to grow up and let the comments be a conversation not a fuck-fest.

ATM I’d say the issue is mostly between Grog and Ben. The next time I get involved will be the last, therefore I expect both of you to clean it up asap.

@Grognard:Ian, I am not the one calling people names and insulting them. In fact I said he was welcome to his views regardless of their popularity. I want the same thing to mate. If he becomes less combative, I will get off his case and debate like an adult with him.

I know, but your name is always involved when the shit kicks off, I wish it wasn’t. Out of everyone who uses this forum, you’re the one who needs to grow a thicker skin because A you write on here and B because of your opinions.

The sooner we get the pod up n running the better, the spoken word is far easier to relay than the written one 🙂

It’s a blatant lie to say you don’t name call. And of course, once you do, you hide behind Ian, and say, ‘that guy called me names!!!!! make him play nice!’

No one is as hypocritical in calling for protection, or as willing to be insulting.

The whole culture of this blog is that if you say anything good about the club, at least three people jump on you, call you delusional, say you’ve drunk the kool-aid, stupid, etc. That happens without fail. I never see a positive comment on the club pass the brave pessimists of this comment section without without scorn, criticism, and personal attacks.

And for all that is absolutely provably true, I can with no difficulty give 100+ personal attacks from Groggy in the past week or so to Ian, and much more for this hardcore group of meanspirited insulting ‘fans’ whose only objective is to insult people that say anything good about United. For all that, if anyone says something to them, they are the first to scream ‘OUT OF BOUNDS, OUT OF BOUNDS’. Complete hypocrisy, you know it Groggy, Ian knows it, and damn sure the people that care about the club, who dare to say anything good about the club know it.

It is truly a shame for a supposed United fan blog to be populated almost solely by people whose one aim is to be rude and berating to anyone with a positive thing to say about United. It really is.

@Ben: And Ben, sorry mate you do call other people names. In fact this last time I got mad because of the way you insulted Redrich. It had nothing to do with me being the target. And I also admitted that I am no angel and have been guilty of name calling and specifically to you. I apologized to you, made peace only to wake up the next morning and read your insults and name calling towards an article I wrote. Clean up your act, show people some respect and I really don’t give a shit what your views are or whether they jive with mine. We all have the right to express our feelings about the club we love without being ridiculed over it.

I don’t think we know all the facts and details on why we failed so miserable in the transfer market so jumping to extremes doesn’t make sense. From my understanding how transfer dealings work is the manager creates a shortlist for positions or types of players they want and tier those list to give the hierarchy some guidance on who to bid on. The hierarchy determine the valuation and make bids but I am sure the coach stays informed and on top of the situation but for the most part I would expect the final fee is based on what the hierarchy is willing to pay for the player based on their assessment. Correct me if I am wrong.

In my head or at least how I read the situation based on the little and possible misinformed information I have gotten from the media is that Moyes created three shortlists. Clearly he wanted a defensive center midfielder, creative center midfielder, and left back.

We made our first attempt at all three with a bid for Fellaini and Baines that can only be described as laughable, while trying to take a creative midfielder from Barca in Thiago or Fabregas. The Barca deals and Everton rejection are well documented. The opening Everton bids were an opening salvo and I have way more to say about the Fellaini singing but I’ll get to that at the end of my post.

Woodward and Moyes then turned their attention to other options, while simultaneously continuing their interest in the previous named players. The problem is that we spread ourselves so thin and apparently tried to sign anyone and everyone. Almost like we decided to being fishing with dynamite when the clock began ticking down. They panicked and that was the biggest problem, they showed it to everyone with the last day deadline antics. What is truly worrisome is they only came out with one fish. The failed across the board this summer and haven’t explained themselves. However, I don’t blame them.

Fergie/Gill weren’t the perfect manager/CEO but they did a better job of putting a veil on the clubs shortcomings in the transfer market then Moyes/Woodward have done so far this summer. I have no problem with fans who are disappointed with Fergie for not standing up to the Glazers but I don’t feel the same way. His job was to win and he did that. His job was to keep the club stature at a high level and he did that. His job was to create a winning squad with the financial restrictions brought on from the Glazers and he did that. He couldn’t do all that if he wasn’t saying the right things in public. He also put pressure on the Glazers with his comments. Every time he praised the Glazers he threw in a caveat like “they understand United to invest in their squad to stay competitive and make money.” I am paraphrasing of course but the sentiment was always there, putting pressure on them to continue to invest and push on in the transfer market.

The problems don’t stem from Moyes/Woodward nor Fergie/Gill. Rather the blame lies at the feet of the Glazers. They put the budget restrictions in place to try and bring the club back from the brink they pushed it to. Maybe Gill has some blame since he helped orchestrate the take over. They will sanction one big signing each summer but that is usually as far as it goes. Since the Glazers took over we haven’t truly splashed the cash in one summer and add multiple players of true quality. That isn’t a coincidence.

Did Moyes/Woodward mishandle a bad situation created by the Glazers at their first at bat? Yes. Should we be upset? Yes. Should we be out for their heads? No. It is to early for that. We don’t know all the cards on the table. Who knows what deals we have in place for next season? Maybe we avoided big money signings so we could insure we had money available for next summer when a certain Portuguese has one year left on their contract? Who knows? And that is my point. We don’t know everything and in some ways we shouldn’t. We fans worry and read into everything, every post, every tweet, every interview. We don’t know all the ins and outs and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions and begin circling like sharks to feed on our own manager. SAF asked us to back Moyes, I think that advice is exactly what we should do. Be upset but don’t lose the faith, at least not yet.

@Kevin: Level headed comments for sure mate. I hope you are right but I’ll perform a river dance if Ronaldo is bought. I do not see it happening. As far as I’m concerned, we are far too forgiving of the brain trust of this club.

@Grognard: I don’t want to seem forgiving but I don’t blame Moyes for the brain trusts mistake. I clearly am no fan of the Glazers and they are to blame for the financial position of the club. The Bale transfer makes me cringe in so many ways. Had we not been in debt from the take over imagine what Fergie would have done with that cash influx to the club? Just look at what Tottenham have done. I know it is early days but each player they added has real quality and potential. I am not saying we haven’t added any quality but we really haven’t added where we needed when the price got to high. It is incredible that the powers at be haven’t reinvested that money as they should.

With all that said, I don’t see the link between Moyes and the brain trust. It is still early days and jumping to conclusions about Moyes is a mistake. He is still finding his way at the club and putting his stamp on the team. He has to work with these people and get what he can from them to keep a championship winning squad competitive. Give him time, it took Fergie 4 years to win. Lets not get to upset over 4 games.

I think there are a lot of signs of a possible reunion with Ronaldo. I won’t be surprised if he joins next summer. I just hope Woodward doesn’t screw it up. I really do believe Nike badly want Ronaldo back at United and are willing to do what it takes to make it happen. I am a real believer in those kinds of back room deals and completely believe it is possible and likely. But prediciting the future is never 100%, especially after this summer’s performance.

Don’t lose the faith, the squad is still strong and competitive. They have to perform well, which they can and will if we back them fully, including Moyes.

Back in July, when all was clear blue waters and we had money to burn, I came across (on the net) an interview with Woodward and he said, quite plainly, that he ‘saw no reason to make a major signing, just possibly a little tinkering at the edges’.
Well! That was putting it plain. I tried to post this on football rumours but it was deemed, I presume, nonsense. Since then, I believe we supporters have been subjected to a con trick. MU had no intention of spending money, but were treated to an elaborate charade, where we attempted to sign players who wouldn’t come from clubs that wouldn’t sell with money we never had. How else to describe the Fabregas idiocy? And suggestions we never bought Thiago was because we were ‘confused as to price’.
I’ve been a supporter since Munich, when as a ten year old boy, I was thrilled by the romance of it all.
For the first time in fifty five years, I look to the club to fail. It’s shameful what we have allowed the Glazers to do to our club. We have no hope until they leave, when they’ve taken from us every last penny they can.

They can be hurt only by a falling share price. Which won’t happen whilst we are winning. Our rivals are improving, we have been making mistakes even before Moyes (Pogba) and the great figures from the club’s past (Charlton SAF) seem to haven taken the Glazers’ shilling. Anyone got an idea of what’s to be done?

@toadmeister: I hear you toadmeister, it’s a real shame how far the team quality has fallen off.
I go back to the late 60’s (not quite as long as you) and what I see now is very similar to what I saw in ’69-70 – a good team not replenishing it’s talent when players get old and retire. The barren patch that followed has, by most observers, been attributed to just that. The youngsters on here and most other blogs I read, do not have a memory of anything other than success. They see no reason to criticize, because they believe it’s only a slight blip and that magically, it will heal itself and normal service will be resumed shortly. Simply put, they don’t have any appetite for negativity about the club.

You ask if anything can be done about it from a fans perspective. Well a good start could be to start convincing others that the Glazer regime IS ruining our club and that the fears of long serving fans such as you and me and Grognard are to be taken seriously and not viewed as utter paranoia.
Of course if have a cool 3 billion that you don’t need, you could probably get a conversation with Malcolm himself.